Two hours before he would be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on the 50th anniversary of his World Series-clinching shutout, former Brooklyn left-hander Johnny Podres was asked in 2005 if he would’ve been more nervous entering Game 7 of the 1955 Fall Classic at Yankee Stadium if he knew a half-century of celebration was at stake.

“Nah,” he replied with a shoulder shrug, puffing on a cigarette while sitting on a hotel luggage cart. “When you’re that young … you think you can do anything.”

At age 23, Podres blanked the New York Yankees, 2-0, as the Dodgers won their first and only championship in the history of the Brooklyn franchise.

The modern-day Dodgers face an all-or-nothing proposition in Game 5 of the National League Division Series at Washington. Nationals manager Dusty Baker has an easy choice for starting pitcher – 20-game winner Max Scherzer – while L.A.’s Dave Roberts has a pair of lefties at his disposal – veteran Rich Hill and 20-year-old rookie Julio Urias.

Between now and Vin Scully Appreciation Day on September 23, the Dodgers are revealing the results of the fan vote ranking Scully’s top 20 Dodger calls of all time, one at each home game. Here’s No. 5: the cap (or sombrero) to Fernando Valenzuela’s no-hitter.

Beginning this year, the Dodgers merged their previously separate Playbill and Dodger Insider magazines into one publication (at least 80 pages per issue) with a new edition available each homestand plus one in October, 13 issues total. It is distributed at auto gates (one per vehicle) and via Fan Services for those who use alternate transportation. Dodger Insider magazine includes news, features, analysis, photos, games, stadium information and more. Fans who wish to subscribe for 2017 can do so at dodgers.com/magazine.

Between now and Vin Scully Appreciation Day on September 23, the Dodgers are revealing the results of the fan vote ranking Scully’s top 20 Dodger calls of all time, one at each home game. Here’s No. 12: The pitch that launched Fernandomania.

Of course, Jansen could also become the first Dodger pitcher credited with an All-Star victory since Jerry Reuss in front of the 1980 hometown crowd in Los Angeles. Since then, three Dodgers have been the losing All-Star pitcher: Chan Ho Park (2001), Eric Gagne (2003) and Clayton Kershaw (2015). Dodger pitchers have a 6-6 record in 12 All-Star decisions.

Certainly, it was nowhere to go but up for the franchise after its ignominious All-Star debut via Van Lingle Mungo, who allowed four runs plus two inherited runs in a six-run fifth inning by the American League in 1934. Not that Mungo had it easy: He entered the game with Babe Ruth on second base, Lou Gehrig on first and Jimmie Foxx at the plate. Two walks, three singles and a double later, the AL had gone from trailing 4-2 to leading 8-4.

The most famous Dodger All-Star pitching performance belongs to Fernando Valenzuela, who from the fourth through sixth innings in 1986 faced 10 batters, retired nine and struck out the first five — Don Mattingly, Cal Ripken Jr., Jesse Barfield, Lou Whitaker and Teddy Higuera — all in a row. Kirby Puckett’s groundout was the first ball in play against Valenzuela, whose outing was marred only by a pop-fly Wade Boggs single in the sixth.

The wait is over for Kenley Jansen, and it never began for Corey Seager.

The Dodgers’ veteran closer and rookie shortstop have each been named to their first National League All-Star team, where they are joined at least in spirit by Clayton Kershaw — who despite his current back injury earned his sixth consecutive All-Star spot.

Clayton Kershaw closes the book on May with his final start of the month today. Make that a history book.

Kershaw goes into tonight’s game at New York with the lowest WHIP by a pitcher in May all time at 0.52. Bruce Sutter (1977) is second on the list at 0.54 and interestingly, the Mets’ Steven Matz is third, sporting a 0.59 mark this month.

The all-time record for WHIP in a month is shared by San Francisco’s Atlee Hammaker (April 1983) and St. Louis’ Woody Williams (September 2001) at 0.50.

For our special section in the 2015 Dodger Yearbook dedicated to him, Fernando Valenzuela described his initial promotion to the Major Leagues in 1980 and the unforgettable start that launched Fernandomania in earnest in 1981. Click the image above to enlarge.

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